Journey to the North
by kage77
Summary: What a greeting Yuri got! Not a few days after he arrives once more in New Makoku, and already a michevious young thief has stolen his precious necklace away! But this is hardly the start of his troubles, as a strange young prince comes to visit them...
1. The Stolen Necklace

Yuri peered at the man clad in white several feet in front to him through black cage wirings. A leather glove was stretched open in front of him, and a white ball came soaring in. With a satisfying PUMF, the ball landed in the middle of his glove, and he grinned, taking it with his other hand and throwing it back.

"Batter up!" The umpire roared behind him, and the people out in the field were immediately alert. Another person came out in front of him, holding a bat over his shoulder. He positioned himself, and there was a moment of silence.

The ball came flying through the air once more, speeding towards Yuri's face. His dark eyes hardly flickered as he instinctively snapped his glove over the ball once more.

"Strike one!" The ump called out, giving the signal.

This happened a second time, the ball landing in Yuri's glove, the umpire announcing the second strike.

On the third pitch, however, the ball and the bat collided dead-on with one another, and went soaring out to the field. The batter took off like a bullet, charging at first base.

The field came alive with shouts and movement, and watchers cheered for both teams.

Yuri had abandoned his crouching position, and was standing, alertly watching for the ball when and if it came his way. He clenched his teeth nervously as the batter rounded the third base, and came running home.

Finally, there it was! The glimmering white ball on its usual course, heading for the young man. Grinning, he ignored the runner, jolted forwards, and caught the ball. In that instant, he twisted around, and threw himself forwards in a cloud of slide dust.

He had his eyes pinched shut. Cautiously, he opened one eye, and then the other, and beamed.

"YOOOU'RE OUT!!"

The glove-clad ball was planted on the runner's ankle, a perfect out.

The players out in the field erupted, cheering for Yuri, cheering for their win. They sprinted forwards as the grouchy runner stalked out, giving their back catcher high-fives and friendly slaps on the shoulder.

The black-haired boy gave a modest chuckle, flushing, and scratching the back of his head.

As Yuri wandered out of the ballpark, a boy with glasses jogged up to him. "Way to go, Shibuya!" He congratulated, walking alongside him.

"Thanks, Murata. It was a pretty tiring game." Yuri sighed, smiling wearily.

"And intense! I never jumped around so much before!" Murata laughed, pushing up his glasses and looking up at the sky.

As they continued on, the two became a little calmer. "So...Shibuya. You gonna head back there today?" Murata questioned, looking back at the other boy.

Yuri paused for a minute, tilting his head. "Huh...I suppose I'd better...It's been a few days now..." He flushed, chuckling. "Gunter's gonna be completely freaked out, and Wolfram will be so ticked at me..." He frowned, remembering how angry and worried his fiancée acted when he vanished for too long.

"I'll say." Murata agreed, stretching his arm above his head.

A few minutes later, the two arrived at a house.

"Well, I'll see you later then, Shibuya! Make sure Wolfram doesn't beat you around too much!" Murata called, waving from the driveway.

"Thanks for the reminder!" Yuri responded in a snide, yet friendly manner. He, too, was waving, and the last thing he heard before slamming the door behind him was his friend's amused laughter.

"Ah...Mom, I'm home!" He called out, slipping off his shoes and wandering into the house. Instantly, a short, beautiful woman entered the room. She had bright brown eyes, and her hair was tied back in a ponytail.

"Yu-kun! Welcome home!" She said, immediately wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.

"Whoa-hi." He gasped, surprised at the sudden, firm embrace. Stepping back, he smiled. "Well, how was your day?"

As soon as he said that, his mother's mouth shot off like a rocket. She talked about her laundry, her mopping, the shower she had, her friend calling, the gum she had stuck to the bottom of her shoe...

Yuri sighed. He knew it was a mistake to moment he asked her the question. Sitting down at the table, he was served a large bowl of rice. With a thanks, he dug into it, and listened to his mother continue.

His mother, nicknamed Jennifer, was quite an interesting woman, actually. Smart, hyper, and totally into fantasy. Her attention was diverted from the pot of rice as Yuri said "Mom, I think I'm gonna take a shower, then I'm going to go back there."

Jennifer froze in mid-sentence, but smiled. "Ah...okay, Yu-kun..." She said, tilting her head, seeming a little disappointed and sad. But she knew that her son had to go at some point.

Sitting up, she walked back to the pot of rice, and did not continue to tell him about her day.

With a farewell, Yuri pried Jennifer off him and headed up the stairs to the bathtub, which he had filled after his shower (like heck he was going to send himself back through the toilet!) Inhaling, he grinned and jumped into it with a loud splash.

The world flashed around him as he headed back to the other place. In moments, he sat up in an elaborate-looking fountain that was in the middle of a temple.

Pulling green vegetation off his head, he turned and smiled at a young girl there, who had long, silver hair and violet eyes. "Hey!"

The girl did not respond back. As a matter of fact, she looked rather worried and kept her distance away from the fountain.

Yuri was confused, but in a moment, he realized why she acted in this manner.

"YOU BASTARD!! YOU COMPLETE AND UTTER FOOL!! WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU?!" A blonde boy threw himself into the fountain, reached forwards, and dragged Yuri out with him by the hair. Snarling, he held the boy up so they could face eye-to-eye.

"Heheh...sorry, Wolfram..."

"SORRY MY ASS!! YOU-" His words were lost in the sudden noise of writhing and splashing as Wolfram threw Yuri back into the water, and began to beat on him. The young girl, now accompanied by a brunette man, gave a sigh, and shook her head. The man just simply closed his eyes and crossed his arms with an amused grin on his face.

"Ow...Wolfram...that really, really hurt..." Yuri whined, pressing an ice pack to the side of his head.

"Shut up, you wimp." Wolf responded bitterly, his nose in the air and his eyes pinched shut.

"It's good to have you back, Your Majesty." The brunette man from the temple said, smiling calmly.

Yuri chuckled. "It's good to be back, Conrad...all except for the lump on the side of my head..."

A group sat at a dinner table, all eyeing the young black-haired boy intently.

To Yuri's left was, of course, Wolf, then came Conrad, Gwendel, and an empty seat. He closed his eyes. This place was practically his second home...

"Your Majesty..? Your Majesty!" A voice mixed with relief and stung with longing called behind them. They all twisted around, and saw a man with lavender hair standing there. There was a mess in front of him, papers and books everywhere, but he paid no mind to it, jumping over it, and charging to the table. Yuri gagged as he was strangled with another tight hug.

"Oh, I'm so glad to see that you've returned safely! Your Majesty...ah..." Gunter whimpered, on the verge of tears, refusing to release Yuri...

"Gunter, knock that off, you're strangling him!" Wolfram shrieked defensively, jumping to his fiancée's rescue. And he was correct; Yuri's face was starting to go blue.

Gunter beamed as he sat in front of his meal, not bothering to dig in. He was content enough having his beloved Maou sitting across from him. Every now and then, he'd take a light sip of his wine, but that was about it.

Yuri shifted in his seat uncomfortably, as he sensed everyone's eyes were on him, happy, content, angered, and numbly relaxed. Before he could speak, Conrad broke the silence.

"Your Majesty, at this point, I'd like to bring up some news you may not have heard of yet." The man said, placing his Spork delicately to the right of his plate. He then crossed his hands over each other, waiting for Yuri to respond.

The Japanese boy sitting at Wolfram's left perked up and grinned slightly. "Yeah? What's that?"

"Well..." Conrad proceeded. "There is a prince of the Northern continent. He has been asking to come visit our country. He simply desired your signature to be sent back with his parchment inquiring you permission." As he said that, he twisted to the side and dug in a pouch on his belt. He drew out a folded sheet of paper and handed it across the table.

Yuri took it and unfolded it, reading these words:

'Greetings, King Yuri. I am Prince Bazel von Lumerora. I live in the Northern continent of Great Flurrizora, and even here, I have heard of your impressive feats performed in your land. May I request your permission to travel to your country? Simply for a visit I ask, if it is not too troublesome.

Please, if you do wish to have me come over, simply give your signature in the space below. I wait eagerly for you response!

Sincerely, Prince Bazel

"How interesting..." Yuri murmured, reading the letter once more. Lowering it down, he began to shuffle around, as if looking for something.

"What're you doing?" Wolfram questioned, blinking curiously.

"Looking for a pen...um, 'scuse me, but may I borrow one from one of you?"

Instantly, Gunter stood, and scampered around the table, walking towards the books and papers he had dropped earlier. "Just a moment..." He muttered, shuffling through the mess. Gwendel and Wolfram stared at him, tilting an eyebrow in both annoyance and amusement.

After a minute, Gunter came prancing back briskly, holding a feathered pen. "Here you are, Your Majesty." He said, bowing.

Yuri smiled. "Thank you..." And with that, he scribbled quickly on the paper. 'YURI...SHIBUYA...' He thought, and made a line under the name.

"Oh...Your Majesty...your signature gets more and more beautiful every time you write it..." Gunter crooned, his eyes fixed on the signature. "And in black ink...how fitting...how perfect..." He did not notice Wolfram's jade eyes fixed dangerously on him.

"Stop!! You little bastard! Return those items immediately!" An angry voice roared in the village surrounding the palace.

There was an enraged group of men chasing a young silver-haired boy, who appeared to be about fourteen. In one pale hand, he clutched a small bag, and in the another, a handful of precious gems.

"In time, my friends! In time!" He managed to scream back to the group of furious pursuers. Skillfully, he flipped himself over a bucket that had been turned on its side, and gave it a sharp kick afterwards. He grinned, watching it speed towards the unsuspecting men, and taking their feet out. They tripped over each other's bodies, creating a large pile. The only sounds that could be heard were of the frightened ducks, hens, and donkeys, and the pained moans of the fellows.

The last that could be seen of the boy was his foot vanishing over the top of a building.

Huffing and puffing, exhausted, the lad slid down a stone wall, finally away from all the people and the shouting. His harsh exhaling was soon replaced by laughter.

"How amusing. The thieves got thieved!" He said, looking at the gems. "Although, these will not provide much entertainment for me for too long...they are small and embedded in silver. Peh..." He dropped them into his pocket. A large smile split his face as he stared at the bag he had snatched. "HahahHA! Time to blow some cash!" He pulled open the small sack, turned it over in his other palm, and a large handful of coins spilled out. He snickered, sliding the coins from hand to hand.

A slight noise made his ears twitch and his eyes widen. "Who's there?" He demanded, yanking a dagger from his belt and holding it, preparing to defend himself. "Come on, now! You can't stand there forever."

The area was still, until finally, a small figure stepped out. It was a little girl, dressed only by a potato sack with holes slit in it. The boy gave a low gasp, comparing his clothes to what she had to wear.

He wore white pants made of white banners he had snatched, and a red vest with yellow markings, which was held by a black band around his throat. He was barefoot, as was the girl, but he knew who was poorer.

Blinking, he slowly slipped his dagger back into his belt and smiled. "Hey...I'm sorry about that." He said in a softer tone. He took a step forwards and the girl retreated behind a pile of rocks.

"Please, don't be afraid..." The boy said, his smile slightly vanishing. The girl peeked out cautiously, and what she saw made her look twice.

The boy slipped the coins back into the bag, lowered himself down to a kneeling position, and held the pouch out to her. "Here...take this with you when you go home tonight." He offered, his voice still as soft and kind as ever.

The girl bit her lip slightly, coming out fully from her hiding place. She walked forwards, keeping her eyes on him, then smiled. She jogged the rest of the way and accepted the bag.

"Thank you..." Her little voice peeped. With that, she turned, and ran away.

The boy smiled after her, feeling better then than when he had the money all to himself. "Huh..." He closed his eyes, grinning. "I should do that more often..."

Yuri rolled over uncomfortably. "Wolfram, if you're going to sleep here, you have to share the blanket...at least!" He pleaded. He had his legs tucked into his body, his arms crossed over each other, and he held a corner of the blanket over his shoulder. It was hardly enough! He shifted once more, pulling his limbs closer.

"Shuddup...I'm sleepy." Came a muffled voice to his right. What lay there appeared to be a large rolled-up, blanket and a tuff of blonde hair sticking out the top. "Plus, it's freezing tonight!"

"Why do you think I want the blanket? Yuri whined, and he sat up and began to yank on the cover.

"Hey! Knock that off!" Wolfram roared beneath the blanket, and a bare leg appeared, kicking at Yuri.

Yuri ignored him and continued to pull at the sheet he desired so much. "I don't want to be a Popsicle in the morning!"

Wolfram finally pulled himself out of the blanket, his face flushed and his nose wrinkled in a scowl. He was dressed in his usual pink nightgown. He leaned to the side and swiped Yuri's pillow from under his head and gave him a slap with it.

Yuri responded with a groan, almost falling backwards. He gripped the bed sheets tightly, pulling them out. He faced Wolfram, who now was sitting up on his knees. The blonde attempted to dive-bomb him, to knock him off the bed, but the dark-haired boy avoided him, crawling to his partner's side of the bed.

"Dammit, wimp!" Wolfram shouted, straightening up and attempted to pounce him again, dragging the sheets along with him. This time, he caught Yuri's legs and tried to throw him off.

"Hey! The ground's far away from the bed! Don't! AHH!" Yuri squealed, falling off, dragging a pillow and another sheet with him. "Ow..." He sat up, rubbing his back tenderly. Wolfram took another swing at his head with the pillow, missing as the other boy retreated under the bed and began to crawl to the other side.

"Hey!" He blonde leaned over and peered after him.

Yuri pulled himself up on the other side and slid back into the bed. Grinding his teeth, now annoyed, he grabbed anything he could get his grip around and yanked. The sheets came out from under the blonde across from him, and he couldn't help but giggle at the scream and loud thump that followed.

His smirk vanished instantly as Wolfram stood, utterly pissed off. "You-!!" He spat and leapt onto the bed, grabbing Yuri and wrestling him. He even attempted to suffocate him!

Outside the room, a guard paced back and forth, a look of complete boredom on his face. Suddenly, he froze, and took a few steps back. He pressed his ear to what was The Maou's bedroom door. He paused, listening, and when sound finally met his ear, his eyes widened and he staggered back. His jaw hung open stupidly as he stared. After a moment, he straightened up, ran his finger across the bottom of his nose the wipe away red streams of blood that escaped it, and began his marching again.

His thoughts were completely different to that of what was actually happening in that chamber...

"Goddammit, Yuri...I hope you're happy now..." Wolfram growled. His legs were tangled in the blanket and the sheets, as were his arms. "I can't move, and I'm wide awake."

Yuri, too, was in the same predicament. "Well...um...yeah...tomorrow night, I'll sleep on the floor..." He responded, closing his eyes, and trying to doze off.

The next day, the two kept getting odd stares from others living in the palace. When Yuri tried to bid them a good morning, the people turned away awkwardly, pretending to shuffle through their work.

The only one who seemed to realize what they were thinking was Wolfram. He kept his head tilted upwards, reserving his pride bitterly. "Just keep moving, you wimp." He ordered and gave Yuri a shove forwards. The dark-haired boy nodded. "Yeah, yeah. It's just that, what wrong with everyone toda-?" He asked, but was interrupted. "SHUT UP, DON'T SPEAK!" Wolfram pulled ahead of him, his face red, and his anger practically spilling out of his pores.

They came up to another room, and saw Gunter sitting at a table at the far end. His face was blank as he worked, but hearing them enter, he straightened up, his face molding to an expression of concern and sorrow.

"Your Majesty!" He sighed, walking over. "How do you feel?" He put his hands on the younger boy's shoulders.

Yuri blinked, then tilted his head, explaining "Well, my muscles hurt a bit. I'm a little stiff, and my rear hurts a little because Wolfram-" For the second time, he was interrupted, but this time by a loud wail from the man in front of them.

"Oh, Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" Gunter bawled, throwing his arms around him and rubbing his head on his.

Yuri blinked, his arms outstretched to the side. "Uh-um...there there..?" He muttered, patting him on the back, and looking at Wolfram for support. But the boy had his nose in the air once more, and his face was bright red.

The Maou just stood there, patting Gunter and feeling completely confused.

After peeling Gunter off, Yuri and Wolfram ventured into the main room, where they were greeted by an amused 'Bow-chicka-wow-wow.'

Yuri glanced to the side and saw an orange-haired man talking with Conrad. Conrad did not look impressed, not at all. His lips were tightly pinched together, and his eyes revealed no emotion.

"Yosak? When'd you get here?" Yuri asked as they approached the two men.

The redhead, Yosak, grinned. "This morning. Are you in pain anywhere, Your-ehehe-Your Majesty?" He tittered, keeping a hand over his mouth.

Yuri shifted his weight to the other foot as he placed a hand on his rump. "You know what, actually, I do hurt around here..." He stated, and Yosak could not control himself. He burst out laughing, wrapping his arms around his waist and staggering to the side.

Yuri frowned. "Okay! What's going on? Everybody's been acting weird ever since Wolfram and I got up today! Are you all planning to pull a prank on me? Where are the wires?" He asked, glancing around to see if he could find the 'prank' he was expecting.

"There's no prank, Your Majesty." Conrad responded, loosening up slightly.

"Then what is it?" The boy placed two hands on his hips and tapped his foot.

At this point, Wolfram was completely fed up. "Agh, god! You are so ignorant!" He snarled and yanked Yuri over towards him. "Listen..." He inhaled and leaned over to his ear, cupping a hand over his mouth. He whispered for a moment, and Yuri's eyes shot open.

"HEHH?! Are you SERIOUS?! That's why everyone was all bugged-out at us?! Ah! That-that-!!" He yelped, jumping away.

Yosak was on his knees now, tears streaming down his face as he continued to laugh. Conrad, now convinced that what the rumors he heard were false, smiled at the two, and gave a nervous chuckle.

Wolfram turned on his heel, snapping at the other three, "Shut up! Ah, you fools!" He stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Outdoors, the silver-haired boy wandered around, unaware that he was in the castle's courtyard. If he was aware of the fact, however, he paid no mind to it. He stared at the gems he had snatched away the previous day. He had a bored expression on his face. "Gosh, this is lame...I should have grabbed that large ruby when I had the chance..." He complained to no one in particular and dropped the gems back into his pocket.

"Huh...at least this place is nice..." He continued, looking around. He sat by a fountain and gazed at the sky. "Huh...eh?" His aqua eyes caught sight of something in a high window. He tilted his head as a young man, not much older than himself paced in and out of sight. The man had blonde hair, a cute face, and large green eyes. The other boy below was enchanted. He tilted his head to the side, and watched as the person continued his pacing. When he did not reappear in the window once more, he blinked slightly.

"I really have to talk to Jasper soon…I miss him." He murmured out of the blue.

"Yuri, come along. Let's go do some training. It's been a while since we last sparred, and you'll probably want to impress Prince Bazel when he arrives, hm?" Conrad suggested, walking on a stone path with Yuri next to him.

"Yeah, sure. That's a good idea. And it'll get my mind off the awkward events that happened..." The younger boy said, blushing.

"Hey! Just where do you think you're going, you unfaithful jerk?" Wolfram demanded as he sprinted out behind them.

"We're just going to be doing some training, Wolfram." Conrad responded coolly, glancing over his shoulder. He closed his eyes as he saw Yosak come into view.

"Training? What sort of training? You have any ideas, Woooolfiiieee-kuuuun..?" The larger man teased, leaning over the blonde's shoulder and smirking at him. This received a nasty punch in the chin. "Keep your repulsive thoughts to yourself!" Wolfram snapped, only causing Yosak to laugh at him even more.

"Now, now, settle down, children." Conrad snorted with a smile on his face, and this silenced the two. (Although they did make rather childish faces at each other as they continued to walk.)

Shortly, the group came up to a small open area. "Here is good." Conrad said with a smile, nodding lightly. "Now, here, Yuri, take a sword and let's get started."

The younger boy obeyed and the two began to spar. Yuri's sword skills had definitely improved since he first landed in New Makoku, but he still could not surpass Conrad.

Wolfram watched them, gritting his teeth whenever the two got too close. He tapped his foot, and glanced around impatiently. "Hmm…" He grumbled, but his pouty face vanished when his eye caught a slim figure at the far end of the yard. His eyebrows cringed slightly as he strained to see.

"What is it?" Yosak asked beside him. The man had matured out of his moment of juvenile bliss that had occurred earlier on, and held a face that was somewhat bored, but alert.

Wolfram glanced at him, and then out to the figure. "Oh!" He murmured, realizing that the figure had vanished completely from sight. Had his eyes tricked him? Ah…no matter. He gave his head a shake. "Nah. It was nothing." He crossed his arms and closed his eyes calmly.

Yuri and Conrad's training proceeded for several more minutes before Yuri decided to call it quits.

"Whew! That was exhilarating enough for me!" He said, running a handkerchief across his brow and face. "Shall we head back in?"

Conrad gave a light nod as he ran his arm across his forehead. "Yes, let's go then…heheh, Your Majesty…you certainly improved in the art of the sword." He chuckled, turning to him and placing his hand on his shoulder.

With a thanks and a warning cough from Wolfram, the group started to walk down the trail back towards the castle. They carried a light conversation as they trekked towards the palace opening, but a curious noise from Yuri made them stop.

He had his head cocked to the side and a finger out in front of him. "Who is that? Is she new in the palace?" He asked bluntly.

Conrad, Yosak, and Wolfram looked at the newcomer standing there, a suspicious gleam in their eyes. Conrad's fingers tickled the top of his sword, but he made no move to draw it out.

"You, young lady, please state your name and your purpose of being here." He demanded politely, tilting his head to the side.

There was silence, and Wolfram gave an impatient growl. "Hey, he said something, missy! Who are you, and why are you here?" He snarled, crossing his arms bitterly.

The girl made a big show of checking behind herself, then turning back with a mockingly oblivious look on her face. "Well, I can't seem to find who you're talking to! I don't see a girl here!" She said, shrugging. Instantly, she dropped her arms.

"I'm a boy, morons."

Each man, Yuri, Conrad, Wolfram, and Yosak, gave a surprised noise, exchanging looks that matched quite well with one another. Conrad scratched the back of his head, flushing a bit. "I'm sorry. But, please, do state who you are."

Unfazed by this, the boy simply smiled and responded with, "My name is- -"

He froze, his mouth hanging open, and his eyes fixated on Yuri as if the boy was made of gold. He remained like that for a brief moment, before a smile crept onto his face.

"Eh? What's with this guy-AHH!" Yuri squawked, as something seemed to zoom past him like a sudden rough gust of wind.

"Yuri!" Conrad looked at his king defensively, but saw no apparent damage to him. "Huh…?" But something appeared to be missing off of him…

A blue necklace…the perfect, blue, tear-shaped pendant that he had given Yuri when they first met had vanished!

Behind them, a strange little laugh was heard. The party wheeled around to see that strange boy standing there, holding the pendant very delicately in his fingers. "Ooh…such a pretty…" He crooned, tilting his head. "I like this. I think I may keep this for a while!" He laughed and slid the string over his head.

"Hey! Return that immediately!" Conrad demanded, twisting around and clenching his fists.

The boy chuckled, flicking his hair over his shoulder. "In time, my friends! In time!" His voice was flecked with laughter and amusement as he responded with his obnoxious little quote.

"Bastard! Give it back!" Wolfram shouted and sprinted towards him. The boy simply gave another playful giggle and pranced side to side, skillfully avoiding Wolfram's grip.

'I…I can't believe this kid!' Wolfram thought, as his accurate attempts failed him.

When he shot his arms out to what could have been the perfect snatch, the boy backflipped, and he distinctively heard him mutter "Huh…you're the guy I saw in the window…"

This distracted him, and a bare foot came in contact with his jaw. He staggered back, more shocked than hurt.

Finally, the little thief stood on his own two feet, shaking his head. "Well, that's what you get for scaring me." He spat, saying no more, and no less. In less than a moment, he vanished over a fence and into the trees. Everyone remained still and silent, all in frustration, but mostly awed.

Conrad paced to and fro impatiently. "I can't believe what just happened…I can NOT believe this…." He repeated to himself over and over. "That boy…I hardly saw him approach His Highness, let alone slip the pendant off his neck…it is strange…"

Wolfram was impersonating what his brother was doing (pacing), cursing the thief. So many swears! One should have to teach him a large vocabulary. No one stopped him, however, as they all felt the same way, only in smaller proportions. Upon hearing this, Gunter sobbed, but was happy, as he knew that his dear king was not harmed.

Speaking of the Maou, Yuri sat at a table, staring at it. It felt so strange. With his pendant missing, he felt as if a part of himself was with it. He possessed that special necklace ever since he came to New Makoku and now it was gone. He drummed his fingers on the desk, feeling hopeless. When he looked up again, he noticed that Conrad had left the room, and Wolfram was sitting at the end of the table.

"Oh…" He blinked, searching around for the vanished man. "Where has Conrad gone?"

Wolfram sighed and dropped his chin into his hand. "I wouldn't know. He just stalked out, not saying a word." He told, and shrugged. "He probably went to get a group of men to go out to find the necklace." This made Yuri jump up. "I want to go with him as well!" He demanded, clenching his fists.

"No, you cannot." A voice from the other end of the room told sternly, but patiently. Gwendel stood there, looking exceptionally exhausted. He began to walk towards them slowly. "Conrad did not want to put you through that danger. For all we know, the thief could be one of the most dangerous there is. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you hardly noticed when he stole your necklace, right? Imagine how he is as a fighter." He stopped by the table and shook his head. "Also, it's dark and cold outside. You could fall ill if you went."

Yuri had a look on his face that told he did not agree fully with what the man just said, but he knew better, and Wolfram tugging his arm brought him slowly back down into his chair. He gave a peeved groan and shook his head. "Dammit. I hope they know what they're doing! I don't want any unnecessary injuries occurring on their mission!" He said after a moment of silence and tapped a finger on the table.

Gwendel and Wolfram had the same look on their face. "Conrad'll be fine-" The brothers stared at each other as the words escaped both of their lips in union. Yuri couldn't help but chuckle.

The next day, Yuri paced around in front of the castle, waiting. He hadn't seen Conrad all morning, so he presumed the man had been out all night. He had been out there since the crack of dawn, as he had only slept lightly the night before. "Huhh...where are they..?" He murmured, looking up at the clouds. At his words, the sound of whinnying reached his ears, and he turned around.

There he saw a group of horses, and on the lead one, he recognized Conrad. "Conrad!" He called out, and began to run towards the group. Conrad blinked bitterly. He had dark lines under his eyes. "Your Majesty? What are you doing up so early?" He asked, stifling a yawn.

Yuri didn't seem to notice that he, himself, had been up since dawn. "I was just waiting for you! So, did your search go well?" He asked, crossing his arms and looking up at the man.

Conrad sighed, and shook his head slowly. "No. I'm sorry, Yuri. We couldn't find the thief." He told, feeling as if it were his fault the necklace got stolen. He cracked his shoulders and lowered him off his horse.

Yuri blinked, his smile faltering. "Ah...that's too bad." He murmured, his eyes turning to the ground. He shifted his weight to the other foot and thought. "Hm...I suppose the search will continue today?" He asked after a moment.

Conrad nodded. "Yes. My men'll start it up again immediately." He stated, putting a hand on his stallion's neck.

He was hushed instantly by Yuri's finger waving in front of his face." Nuh-uh! You guys are going to rest before you to out there again!" He affirmed, putting his hands on his hips like a strict mother. "And I'm going with you next time!"

Conrad shook his head. "No, Your Majesty. That thief- -" He started, but Yuri interrupted.

"Could be dangerous?" He had a grin on his face and he crossed his arms. "Nah, I don't think he'd be too bad. I mean, if he was as dangerous as you think, wouldn't have slain us the minute he took the necklace? Plus, he seems to be the same age, no, younger than I am, so how bad can he be?" He laughed, smiling.

Conrad sighed. "He's a demon, they age slowly, remember, and you can't judge an appearance, Your Majesty..." He said, shaking his head. However, he let a smile cross his face as he concluded with, "But you are correct. He could have killed us, yet he did not." With that, he turned and told his men that they could rest for a while. This made Yuri chuckled, and he turned, heading back into the palace.

"So...are you sure you want to come along, Your Majesty?"

Yuri felt several pairs of eyes on him. It had been Conrad who asked the question and got a simple nod for an answer.

"I'm coming too." Gunter claimed, tying his hair back. "I cannot stand His Majesty being continuously pulled away from me."

The group consisted of Wolfram, Conrad, Gwendel, Yosak, a group of both Conrad and Gwendel's soldiers, and Yuri himself. Speaking of the Maou, he had a bright look on his face as he sensed good things to come. "Alright then! You all know your positions! Get out there, and good luck! Don't forget: Expect the unexpected!" He said, saluting them off, and getting an obedient "Yes Sir!" from the men.

That was that. The parties searched every inch of the area, keeping a sharp eye out. They swore not to stop until Yuri gave the word. But for hours, the search continued, and the black-haired teen began to grow weary. "Ah...just a second, guys." He said to his team and he stopped, pulling his legs up as if to relieve them of weight.

"Ugh, this is hopeless. We've been out here forever and there's still no trace of that little creep!" Yosak claimed, looking around and shaking his head. "I'm starting to think he evaporated!"

Yuri shook his head. "Don't give up! He couldn't have gone too far!" He claimed, dropping his leg and casting a glance towards the forest around him.

Gunter gave a romantic sigh. "His Majesty is truly amazing, as you can see..." He said to one soldier, and continued on with his silly words.

Yuri turned around as he scanned the trees. "Huh..? His dark eyes caught something. He squinted...there it was again! A light flash of blue...what could it be? There was only one way to find out. Without a word, he started towards the glimmer, his eyes focused. The only one who wasn't concentrating only on the mission was Wolfram. "Huh..? Yuri?" He said.

When his fiancée did not answer, he became immediately frustrated and started forwards. "Yuri! Where do you think you're going? Yu-ri!" The two exited the area and trudged forwards.

The Maou stood there, looking at his surroundings carefully. "Huh...I'm sure it was around here somewhere. Hmmm..." He muttered and closed his eyes. A light noise reached his ears. He blinked and turned his head. "Hm?" He walked forwards and noticed a slim figure behind a tree. A red vest, silver hair...

"Heeeyyy, there..." He teased, leaning around the tree and looking down at the thief. "How's it going?"

The boy gave a loud yelp and fell to the side, but quickly regained his posture. "You! How did you find me?!" He squeaked and took a step back.

Yuri simply smiled. "That honestly doesn't matter at the moment. But, I need to ask you something, okay?" He asked kindly. "I need that necklace back. It's really special to me." He walked towards him, holding a hand out.

The boy flushed and gripped the blue gem that was around his neck. "U-um...yeah...I'm sorry...It was just so..." He gave his head a shake. "I couldn't help myself..." He stammered. "I'm sorry..."

Yuri shook his head. "It's okay." He promised, standing beside the boy now. 'Heh, I knew he wasn't dangerous...' He thought.

"Hey! It's that little thief!" A voice shrieked behind them. Wolfram stood there, his face an unrecognizable mask of fury and bitterness. He stormed forwards. "Give back the necklace, you rat!" He demanded, not hearing Yuri trying to call him off.

The boy staggered back, shivering. "I-I- -I'm-" He gagged and without another word, pinched his eyes shut, turned around, and fled.

"Wofraaaam..." Yuri sighed, shaking his head.

The blonde turned, completely steamed up. "What? What, you wimp? What're you about to say?!" He gripped him by the scruff.

"N-nothing! I didn't say nothing!" Yuri responded fearfully, ignoring completely his terrible grammar.

The boy had his head down and continued to run. He only stopped when he came to a wide, open field. There he stood, his hands on his knees, taking in a great lungful of air. He coughed for a moment before straightening up. "Aww...geeze...I shouldn'ta allowed myself to get scared so easily. Ah...so DUMB!" He whined and kicked himself in the shin. He shook his head and crossed his arms.

"Damn right you're so dumb..." A voice snickered nearby.

The boy gasped and looked up, seeing the same group of thieves he had tangled with the other day. His look of shock and surprise vanished quickly as he realized who they were.

"Bokotsu...what the hell do you want...?"

The head thief, Bokotsu, gave his head a jerk, flipping his bangs from his eyes. "Hmph, just thought I'd pay you a visit. You don't have to be so rude." He said and stepped forwards. He had a look on his face that totally defied the offended sound of his words.

This made the silver-haired boy grit his teeth together and clench his fists. This was going to be trouble...

Yuri and Wolfram came through the trees at a light jog, carrying on an argument. "He wasn't going to harm anyone! And by the sound of it, he was going to return the necklace!" Yuri defended the boy.

"I'm sure! You don't just trust thieves! They're cunning. You oughta know that by now!" Wolfram snarked as they came through the trees.

"Wolfram, you're just so-wait a sec- -" The black haired male started, but stopped in mid-sentence, seeing a group of men, and the young boy. "Bingo, there he is!"

Wolfram blinked. "Huh, he didn't get too far, did he? I don't like the look of that gang there." He said plainly.

Yuri nodded. "Me neither..."

When the boy caught sight of the two newcomers, he gasped and approached them bashfully. "I'm sorry...I..haha..." He closed his eyes and scratched at the back of his head. "Hey! Are you just going to ignore us?" Bokotsu demanded, and he was correct in his words.

The boy shifted his weight to his other foot as Wolfram lectured him. He responded with each statement with "I know," but remained patient throughout the grilling. Finally, when Wolfram was done and was trying to catch his breath, he inhaled deeply, brought himself back, and crossed his arms.

"So, do you have a name, or should we call you Thief while we know you?" He asked. Yuri smiled at him.

Completely ignoring Bokotsu's angry voice behind them, the boy perked up with a grin and said, "I'm Ezekiel! You can call me Zeke, my boyfriend does and so does everyone who knows me! Who're you guys?" He rocked on his heels childishly.

Yuri chuckled. "I'm Yuri, and this is Wolfram!" He told, directing to the blonde.

Zeke's eyes widened with an excited glow. "W-wolfram and Yuri...? King Yuri..? You're the ones that are engaged...?" He stammered, squeezing his hands together.

Yuri nodded. "Yuh...why..?" He asked, and instantly, Zeke took his hands and he was thrown into a small dance.

"Oh, that's so cute! Your two are so adorable. And I don't only mean the two of you together! You've both got cute faces and cute voices and cute butts..." This continued for a while, the boy dancing around with Yuri and naming everything under the sun that was cute about them.

Wolfram's eye twitched. "Hey, hey, HEY! Quite enough of that!" He shouted jealously and pushed Zeke away from the other boy.

The little thief giggled. "I'm sorry...so this thing...is the Maou's necklace- -" He said and his eyes widened. "The Maou's..?" A wide grin split his face and he pulled off the pendant.

"Hear that, Bokotsu?! I stole from the Maou! That's far more valuable than any of the crappy gems you ever got off with!" He laughed, waving the gem around.

Yuri tilted his head. 'Whoa...one minute he's so feminine, the next he's all masculine...what an oddball...' He thought.

"Speaking of which, take them back! I'm bored with those things I took from you the other day!" Zeke continued, sticking his hands into his pockets and throwing necklaces and rings and trinkets at the group of thieves.

The whole incident got Bokotsu's temper flaring. "You cocky runt! You've got quite the nerve to shoot off your mouth like that. Besides, where's that money you snatched from us?" He demanded, ignoring the jewelry that was thrown at him.

Zeke's face went solemn. "I gave it to someone who deserved and actually needed it. A little girl in town." He growled in a threatening manner. "She needs it more than you or I. I bet now that she's even able to buy herself a set of shoes."

Instead of growing furious, Bokotsu simply grinned evilly, cracking his knuckles. "Then I suppose we'll just have to take something else, won't we? How about that necklace?" He hissed, pointing, and his group sniggered evilly. "I think it may look good with a red stain on it. How about your blood to make that stain?" He suggested, pulling a spear off the belt on his back.

Zeke immediately posted a defense. "This gem is not yours nor mine, and I have to return it to its owner!" He said simply and dropped the necklace into Yuri's hands. He gave a strong stance and crossed his arms, challenging Bokotsu.

Now, the man grew angry. "Fine. Maybe a life, then? Yours? The Maou's? The hot blonde's? Or maybe..." A sly expression appeared on his face. "Or maybe spilling the blood of your beloved-?"

As soon as the words escaped his mouth, Zeke used his inhuman speed to sprint across the field and strike the man across the face.

"How DARE you threaten Jasper, you hideous scumbag?! You will not harm a hair on his head!!" A shriek filled the air, and Yuri could hardly believe that it belonged to Zeke, who, just seconds ago, displayed such a sweet and charming performance. He gasped as an angry set of thieves began to sneak up behind him.

"Look out behind you!" He called, and Wolfram drew out his blade.

"I'll handle this!" He claimed and started forwards. The two of them strung a nerve-wrecking battle, two against eight. Wolfram could hold his own against the thieves through years of training and discipline by his older brothers, and Zeke held out as well, but his stamina was not as great as the boy beside him. He started to get a little slower and hisattacks were deflected several times.

Finally, his major mistake caused him a punch across the face:

He had swung his dagger forwards, and the thief he stabbed at dodged, wheeling around afterwards and throwing his fist at the boy's face.

"Hey!" Wolfram tried to help, but he was mixed in a battle that was far too rough to just abandon. Gritting his teeth, he managed to throw his opponent away, and he turned on his heel sharply and charged towards the man attacking the other male. With a battle cry, he kicked the man, twisted around, and swung his blade.

As perfect as that maneuver had been, he could not protect Zeke from what happened next. Through the din, Bokotsu stood, waiting, ready, his spear tightly in his bear-like hands. A wicked grin crossed his face as he lunged forwards.

Yuri gasped as all time seemed to stand still, other than that of the speed of sound. The noise of piercing flesh reached his ears and he gagged. He shuddered as he attempted to take what just happened in.

There stood the youngest thief, a spear head deep in his waist. Blood spilled around the head and down his leg, causing red streams that were all too visible on his white pants. Yuri could hardly blink as the boy hit the grass like a rock.

The boy's face was so blank, he could have been dead, but when a low moan escaped him, the black-haired king let out a low sigh of both relief and anger. When he looked up, his face was a furious grimace.

But what truly got him angry occurred when Bokotsu simply laughed, spat at Zeke, drove his spear into the boy's shoulder, and threw him to the side. "What'sa matter, kid? Your scrawny little body can't take a simple wound?" He teased cruelly and gave the injured person a harsh kick in the leg.

He scoffed bitterly as he watched his victim tumble. "Pathetic. He thinks just because he managed to steal from a brainless king, he's the better thief. As if..." He swung his spear around, flicking the scarlet blood off the pointed head. In that single motion, he also brought it to the side. "May as well die. You're no fun anymore." He hissed and drove his spear downwards, aiming at his delicate throat...

Through his boasting, he hardly noticed as Yuri pushed through the dangerous people. "No you don't- -" He jumped forwards, pinching his eyes shut.

Seeing this, Wolfram's eyes widened to an extreme. "Yuri!!" He shrieked, ignoring his opponent and attempting to run towards them he staggered to a stop as a low gasp escaped him.

There, Yuri stood, holding the spear as tightly as he could, keeping it from penetrating Zeke. His knuckles were white as he grasped it, not fearing the threat of splinters (although they did pinch through his flesh.) He had his teeth bared and his eyes focused. There was no way he would let Bokotsu kill the kid...

"You- -." Bokotsu snarled. "Stronger than you look, eh? Let's put it to the test." He took a step forwards, attempting to push his enemy back. The king pinched his eyes shut, growling as his heels dug into the earth and he slid back slowly.

"N...no...you can't..." He groused, feeling his hands scream with pain as splinters dug deeper in. "You can't hurt him...I won't..." He murmured, but a loud scream caught his attention. He turned his head just to see Wolfram flying through the air and a sickening sound was heard as his head came in contact with the thick bark of an old tree. His body crumpled to the grass, motionless.

"W-wolfram!" Yuri gasped, his heart plummeting to his stomach. Bokotsu threw back his head and laughed, his voice cold and heartless, as the boy in front of him held a hopeless expression on his face.

"Hurry, men! Take that side! Move it!"

Yuri blinked at the voice. "Conrad...?" He murmured, turning his head, and sure enough, there was the man and the others. His soldiers sprinted out, taking the thieves by storm. They gave angry shouts and attempted to squirm away from the soldiers, but they held them with a firm grip. When a man took Bokotsu, Yuri was finally able to examine the splinters in his hand. He winced at the large pieces of wood in them, and also at their stinging sensation as he ran a finger over them.

"Your Majesty. You aren't hurt are you-? Ah! Your hands! Your poor, beautiful hands!" Gunter cried as he ran up to the boy, and clasped his wrists gently. "Ahh….Geisela will have to look at those…they'll get infected if they just stay like that…who could have done such a wretched thing to them? Oh…." He closed his eyes and gave his head a light shake.

The younger male in front of him did not seem to notice his sympathetic speech. "How's Wolfram? Is he okay?" He asked instantly, trying to peer around the man.

Gunter sighed, closing his eyes. 'I wish that I had you worrying over me like that….' He thought with a second sigh. He watched Yuri sprint towards Conrad and Gwendel, who had dropped by their brother's side and lifted him up.

"Is he okay? He isn't hurt badly, is he?" He asked, breathless.

Gwendel turned. "He is fine. Just unconscious. He's bleeding, but it's simply because the bark on the tree scraped him." He explained in a monotone voice. But, what made Yuri shiver was the vengeful glint in the frightening man's eye. Conrad turned, and he saw that he, too, had the sort of look as well.

"I am glad to see that you're all right, Your Majesty." He said and turned towards him, holding Wolfram's limp body in his arms. "It seems we have two young men and a criminal to take to see Geisela, hm?"

Yuri blinked. "Don't call Zeke a criminal." He said bluntly and glanced towards the younger boy, who of which Yosak and Gunter were taking care of at the moment.

Conrad stared at the dark-haired lad, sighing. "Yuri, he stole from you. That's a highly unacceptable crime, even if he is just a boy, or if he's not dangerousl." He explained slowly.

Yuri gritted his teeth. "But he returned it, see?" He pulled the pendant out to show the men. "And he truly isn't bad! He apologized and everything! He also had stolen money from those guys, and gave it to a little girl. Please, you can't throw him into prison or anything like that!" He clenched his fist, praying that Conrad's normally hidden coldness wouldn't pull through in this conversation.

It didn't, but the man kept a look that was illegible. "Hm…" He turned away. "We'll have to wait and see what happens." Without another word, he began to walk towards Gunter and Yosak with Gwendel following.

Yuri stood there for a moment, looking down at his hands, and then followed them as well.

The group carried on a brief conversation, to which he hardly paid any mind to. He kept glancing around, looking at the remaining soldiers and the captured thieves. He kept his eyes mostly on Bokotsu, however, and the man returned the looks, mouthing curses at him.

He sighed and finally looked back at the other men when Conrad announced their time to return to the castle. They then traveled back, tired and silent.

Wolfram blinked as he came into consciousness once more. Everything around him was blurry. He could hardly make our where he was, but the soft blanket over him and the bed below him told that he was back at the castle. As he regained his vision, it was immediately taken away once more as his brain finally realized the pain of his head injury and let his body know about it. He gave a low moan and bit his lip.

"How do you feel?" A soft voice asked. Wolfram recognized the deep male voice.

"Conrad…?" He slurred and opened his eyes once more. "I'm…fine, I guess…." He muttered and blinked. His brother's face came into focus, and the pain receded. He slowly sat up and looked around. He saw Yuri sitting in a chair up against the wall, smiling, although his hands were in bandages.

"I'm glad he woke up. I was getting worried about him!"

Wolfram turned his head, and saw a young girl with green hair and glasses. It was Geisela, but what he focused on most was a silver-haired boy in the bed she was by.

"Hey! What's he still doing around?" He demanded, immediately returning to his usual self. He lifted his arm and looked at it. "And what's with these ugly pajamas?" He grumbled more to himself than to the others, as he would have preferred his pink ones more.

Conrad chuckled. "Well, let's just say that Yuri had a stern decision on this." He said nonchalantly. He turned and glanced at the boy, almost with a pride glowing off him.

Wolfram sighed, closing his eyes and crinkling his brow. "Oww…." He flopped down and got a little 'take it easy' from his brother, who also leaned over and adjusted the bandages in his hair.

Yuri leaned on his hand. "I can't believe that you've been unconscious for six hours now…" He said, looking at the other boy. "I was fortunate enough just to get those stinking splinters, but you got cranked in the head…." He frowned and clasped his hands together.

Wolfram simply scoffed, turning his face in the other direction. "It's nothing. It'll be fine."

Geisela came around, smiling. "So…now we just have to wait for one more to wake up." She said and sat next to Yuri. Her face fell slightly. "I have no idea how long that's going to take, though. Hopefully we haven't lost him completely…" She felt a warm hand on her own, and she looked at it, seeing a gauze-covered hand overtop it.

"Don't worry. I'm sure he'll be okay." Yuri said, smiling. "I can tell. He is a thief, after all, and thieves don't give in without a fight." His words made the girl next to him smile.

But they made the blonde boy in the bed sit up and glare at them. "Hey! Keep your hands to yourself! What do you think you're doing?!" He snapped, and his face morphed instantly to a pained expression. He gave a low groan and put his hands into his hair as he fell back onto his pillow.

Conrad blinked, his eyes widened and his eyebrows cringed slightly.

"I thought I told you to take it easy!"


	2. Let's Cause Chaos!

"Well, it's good to see that you're feeling better now."

Yuri walked with Wolfram down the hall, pulling absently at the bandages that remained on his hands. It had been two days since they encountered the thieves, but Yuri's hands still gave him trouble! The worst thing on his mind, however, was the thought of young Zeke still in bed, cataleptic and silent. It made it simpler for Geisela to change his bandages and check his stitches, but it worried them both that the boy may not wake up again. They could only pray at this point.

Wolfram simply shrugged. "Meh. It wasn't anything to panic about. I have a few scabs on my head, but they're not too bad." He paused and looked at Yuri. He blinked and made a face. "Okay, what's on your mind?"

Yuri bit his bottom lip. He hadn't realized that he had been revealing his emotions so clearly through his face. He sighed and closed his eyes. He couldn't keep anything from that boy! "Ah, I'm just worried about Zeke, that's all. Plus, we're all fairly tired about what happened with the thieves." He explained and adjusted a button that had slipped loose on his school uniform top. He heard Wolfram sigh beside him and say, "Yeah, yeah. I see." He cracked his neck slightly as they entered the main room.

When they entered, they heard an excited voice speaking, and the two grew curious, venturing in to discover who was so worked up. There, they saw Geisela talking to Yosak, Conrad, and Gunter with her hands clasped together and a wide smile on her face.

"Hey, what's going on?" Yuri asked as he entered with the other boy, looking at the different faces in the room.

Geisela turned to him. "Oh, I've been looking for you all day, Your Majesty! Come quickly, Ezekiel's waken up!" She announced, and with that, ran towards the boys, took each of their hands, and led them away. The men simply exchanged amused expressions and followed and their own slow pace.

XXX

Zeke lay in the soft sheets, the beams of the sun shining on his face. He blinked lightly and turned away from the light. His face was blank and tired, showing no emotion, although his eyes flickered with guilt. He sighed and pushed the blanket away from his chin. He didn't need to be all stuffed up like that. That simple motion caused him to wince and look at his shoulder, where black stitches held together the wound caused by Bokotsu's spear.

He immediately snapped to attention as he heard the door click open and a low voice: "Shh...he's probably really exhausted still." He saw Geisela enter, still holding a thin finger to her lips. Following her were Yuri and Wolfram, one smiling, the other solemn-faced.

"Hey, there." Yuri greeted softly and walked across the room. "It's so good to see you awake. We were getting worried." He slid a chair up and sat down, inviting Geisela and Wolfram to do so as well.

Zeke smiled and slid himself up slowly, his face pinching as his waist injury rubbed against the blankets and he strained his shoulder once more. He was stopped in his movement as Geisela put her hand on his shoulder and muttered gently for him to stop moving.

He obeyed and tilted his head at the trio. "So...why am I not in a dungeon right now? I'm curious." He asked, his voice showing his obvious weariness.

Before Yuri could answer, Wolfram pulled the dark-haired boy's ear. "Because this wimp wouldn't let it happen. I can't disagree with him, either." He stated, closing his eyes, looking as if he would have thrown Zeke behind bars the chance he got. Yuri knew Wolfram put on that face as a show, however, and smiled as he rubbed his ear.

Zeke chuckled. "You guys must be crazy." He said and crossed his fingers over his lap and sighed, grateful that he did not wake up on a cold prison ground. His smile faded and he seemed more awake now. "But there's something I MUST be able to do to make up for it! Anything!"

Yuri gave his head a slight shake. "Not only can't I think for anything for that, but it's totally unnecessary! You apologized, you gave me back my necklace, and you led us to a gang of thieves that had been torturing these parts for the past few weeks!" He protested and ruffled the boy's hair.

Zeke pinched his eyes shut, a small smile on his face. He reopened his eyes as Yuri retracted his hand. "Well, still..." He leaned back, looking at the ceiling, lost in thought. "Hmm..." He blinked, and slowly, his eyes widened. "Oohh...I know...you and Sir Wolfram...oh..oh!" He put a hand over his mouth and Yuri could see a grin forming.

Finally, the boy burst, "I've got it! I know what I can do for you!" This caused the three to jump and ask him what he had in mind. He had a smile that was worth more than gold on his face. "It's the best thing I can think of. How about, I stick around here with you, and I can guarantee your and Sir Wolfram's wedding-to-be!" He giggled, planting two hands over his mouth. "I'll watch over the two of you, make sure you don't cheat on each other, and keep you from dying!" He leaned forwards slightly with eyes sparkling like a stream caught in the morning sun. "What do you think?"

Yuri had a shocked look on his face. "Eh-what?" He stammered, but Wolfram had a grin. "I like the sound of that one!" He laughed. "Keep this cheat in line for me, would ya?" With that, he slapped Yuri in the back of the head, making Zeke laugh.

"Stop! Who do you think you are?!"

A loud voice made them all turn their heads and look. There was more shouting, and a hooded figure shot into view. He stood there for a moment, taking in jagged breaths. He coughed lightly and looked up. "Ezekiel...I thought I may find you here." He murmured in a low voice.

Yuri had an angry look on his face, as did the other two sitting with him. "Who are you? What do you want with Zeke?" He asked and stood, clenching his fists.

Before another word could be said, Conrad burst into the room, a furious expression on his face. "How dare you enter the palace without permission? You have no right to be here!" He growled and jogged forwards, gripping the person by the arm tightly.

The person slowly turned and gave Conrad a look that could make a cobra retreat. "No right? You moron...I have EVERY right to be here when it has to do with Zeke!!" He snapped, and slapped Conrad away, continuing forwards. The man gave a low swear and continued after him.

Yuri blocked his way. "Stop! Settle down and tell me who you are!" He ordered, a little more calm now. The hooded figure stopped, and was silent.

"King Yuri, please sit down..." Zeke's voice behind him was calm, and had a tinge of annoyance and relief in it. "And please sir, don't touch him..." He looked over the figure's shoulder at Conrad.

Conrad froze, and straightened up, and looked at Yuri, whom of which obediently took his seat and was looking fairly curious.

Before the stranger could make another movement to come forwards, Zeke's voice filled the air, shrill and angry.

"What the hell is your problem?! You KNOW better than to do something like this!" His face was not angry, but it was still pained beyond description. He had forced himself to a full sitting position and had a fist clenched in front of him. Suddenly, he gave a wince and his hand flew to his waist, attempting to ease the pain. The figure gave a low gasp and walked forwards at a brisk pace. He stopped at the bed and glared down at Zeke.

This sort of greeting caused Yuri to think that the two may have met at some point. He was silent however as he listened to their argument.

"What about you? You're the one who went snatching stuff from that jerk, Bokotsu, when you knew perfectly well that he isn't a forgiving man. Now look at you! In a hospital bed, stitched up!" The stranger responded.

Zeke gave his head a shake. "That's not the point! You're not supposed to be seen around these sorts of people." He said and gestured to Geisela, Yuri, and Wolfram. "You know better!" He held a shaky finger up, looking to be on the verge of either crying or exploding entirely.

The figure shook his head with an exasperated sigh. "I don't CARE!" With that, he lunged forwards, and threw his arms around Zeke, and in that movement, caused his hood to fall down, revealing a handsome young face.

Yuri stared, looking. He wasn't a demon like Gwendel or Wolfram, but a human. A beautiful human with straight brown hair falling in his face and deep brown eyes. He watched as the two embraced, tilting his head to the side.

'This must be his boyfriend that he mentioned about before...' He thought when he remembered when Zeke and he first met.

The two pulled away from each other, and the stranger sat on the bed, close to Zeke. "I don't care that your king is a demon, and mine is a human. I don't care that you were born here, and I was born there. It shouldn't matter!" The newcomer said and shook his head. The anger was gone from his voice and replaced with affection.

Yuri exchanged glances with Wolfram. They were absolutely still and very confused. "Um...Zeke..? Who is this..?" Yuri finally asked, directing to the new person.

The boy stood, placed a hand over his chest, and bowed down. "I apologize deeply for my rude entrance, Your Majesty. But I had heard a rumor that a fight broke out near the palace, dealing with Bokotsu's gang of thieves and that they were arrested shortly after. When I did not see Zeke two days afterwards, I knew that he must have been taken here, and I...panicked." He said, keeping his face to the ground. "My name is Jasper."

Yuri was enchanted by the tale of dedication and worry, but Wolfram did not seem to be listening at all. "That was a stupid thing you did though, Jasper!" He stood and glared down at the other person. "You broke into the Palace of the Maou! You- -" Before he could continue his ranting, he felt a tight hand on his wrist. He looked down to see Yuri glaring up at him.

"That's quite enough!" The boy snarled. "Wolfram, cool yourself!"

The blonde gave him a look of venom and disbelief. "Yuri, listen to yourself! You always give in the moment someone spins a tale of woe and heartbreak, and mixes in an apology with it! You are so naïve, it isn't funny. One day, it's going to snap you in the back!" He retorted and slapped the hilt of his sword. He turned sharply on his heel and stormed towards the door.

A thin sigh escaped Jasper. "Ah...he's true, you know..." He murmured and glanced at Yuri. "My intrusion was unorthodox and inexplicable. But please, I only ask for a few minutes with Zeke before I am off."

Yuri paused for a minute, putting what the two had said into balance. "Mm...I suppose so, then." He looked at Wolfram, and the blonde simply turned his face away with a small 'hmph.'

Jasper did not seem to notice this, but for the first time since he arrived, he gave a warm smile. "Thank you, Your Majesty...I will not take too long." He glanced at Zeke, flushing. "Hopefully..."

XXX

Unfortunately, the boy was not able to keep up with the promise for a 'short visit.' He and Ezekiel had completely lost each other in conversation, laughing and joking about things that no one but themselves would understand. Yuri had stayed and was listening, interested in their chemistry. Wolfram sat there as well, bouncing his leg uncomfortably. He wanted Jasper out, and soon!

Finally the boy took a gander out the window and gasped. "Oh my...I...oh...stupid..." He slapped himself in the side of the head. It was already dusk, and Yuri could see the moon hovering over the eastern horizon.

'Huh! They definitely have influenced each other along the way, haven't they?' He thought and gave a light chuckle as he compared the two in their ways of berating themselves when they pulled a foolish act.

Jasper stood quickly. "I am so sorry. I must be going now." He gave Zeke's hand a light squeeze before a look crossed his face. "Ah, just a second." He took his place once more, sitting on the bed. He began to shuffle through the bags he had tied to his belt. "They've got to be here somewhere...mm..." He murmured.

Everyone leaned in, curious to what he was searching for. They all jumped slightly as he gave a triumphant "Ah-HA!"

He held two small objects in his hand. They were hand-made rings, woven by straw and roan-red filament. They had a slight pattern to them which intrigued Yuri. "Those are beautiful..." He said and leaned over a little more to get a better look.

Jasper had a loving look on his face. "One for me..." He slipped a ring on. "And one for him." He took Zeke's hand and slid the other wring onto his finger. "There, now. I honestly hurt the muscles in my hands weaving the pattern in these rings...I wanted to give it to you when you came back, but..." He paused, and gave a laugh.

Zeke didn't seem to listen as he held up his hand, looking at the ring that had been made with so much love. He twisted his hand, examining it, and then looked back up at Jasper. He was silent, but his face told enough. Jasper then leaned forwards and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. "I'll see you soon, okay..? Love you..." And with that, he stood once more, looked around the room, and exited without another word.

XXX

The next few days were filled with Zeke's healing time, Yuri running back and forth between training with Conrad and Gunter's assignments, Wolfram keeping an extra eye on his fiancée, just making sure that when he visited Zeke, the two didn't betray him or break the promise, and Geisela working on new solutions for Zeke's wounds. Even through all that time, Jasper did not pay them another visit.

On the fifth day since the boy's visit, Geisela had allowed her patient to walk around once more, only with caution, as his wounds were still healing (so she said, but Zeke felt good enough to start with his thieving once more).

"So, you're feeling better?" Yuri asked with a smile on his face, looking at the other boy, amazed that Zeke only came up to his shoulder in height. The two were standing out in the courtyard with Wolfram, enjoying the warm air.

Zeke gave a light titter and looked over at him. "Definitely! Miss Geisela even said that soon, she can take the stitches out of my injuries. I hopes she does it soon, though. They're starting to get itchy!" He announced and ran his finger over the black stitches in his arm. "Oh, that reminds me. Sir Wolfram, how's your head doing?" He leaned over slightly to catch a look of the other person there.

Wolfram put a hand to his head, quiet. "It's fine." He said simply and dropped his arm. "It gives me a bit of trouble every now and then, but otherwise..." He closed his eyes and gave his hair a snobbish flip. "...It's good."

Despite his display of snootiness, Zeke grinned and gave another little laugh. "Okay!" He said and held up his hand, eyeing his ring once more. "Ah...this is far more beautiful than any gem I've ever stolen before." He swooned. "Love-made things usually have something like that, huh?" He glanced at Yuri.

The boy was silent for a moment. Love-made? Didn't he mean Hand-made? He thought about the term he had used. 'Hm...Hand-made makes it sound like a craft...but Love-made...I'm not sure what to think of that! It makes it seem more spiritual...huh...I like it better, actually...there is still so much that really makes me think about this kid...' He thought and smiled. "Definitely. It really is striking. And how he got those designs in it! Not a flaw anywhere..."

Zeke had a look on his face that made Yuri feel like he was suddenly filled with a warm soup, heating him from the stomach all the way to his fingertips. The boy's eyes glimmered as they had when he discovered the Maou and Wolfram's engagement, and his mouth was curved in a beautiful smile.

"Hey! I thought I may find you out here!" The trio turned and saw Yosak wandering towards them, waving.

Yuri grinned and returned the wave, calling the man's name. "What's going on? Why are you looking for us?"

Yosak gave a laugh. "Man, oh, man, this makes my day so much easier. You three are together and everything! Well, Yuri, Gunter was seeking you out. Seems that you still have another few things to finish up. Wolfram, your brother Gwendel wanted to talk to you about the thing that went down with Bokotsu, and Zeke! Geisela wants you back in bed, ASAP! You've been out far too long, she says." He told, directing a finger to each of the younger males as he said their names.

To this, the three heaved an exasperated sigh. Wolfram because he had repeated the events over and over to people who absolutely had to know, and other curious beings. Yuri, because he had already dealt with a billion pages that Gunter had shoved at him for the past five days. And Zeke because he simply enjoyed his freedom at the moment. He didn't want to go back into that bed! The smell of the nearby medicine and other injured or ill people was starting to get to him. Despite their objected feelings, the three trudged off as if they were being led to the gallows.

XXX

Zeke slouched in his bed. "God...soon I'm gonna get fat in this place...Miss Geisela, I feel absolutely fine! Can I please get out of here?" He whined, glancing to the girl.

Geisela turned and in a strict tone said, "No, I'm sorry, Ezekiel, but I can't let you leave until I remove the stitches! And I can't do that until tomorrow morning. Just a little longer, okay?" She tilted her head as Zeke simply stuck out his bottom lip and turned his face away.

Geisela glanced around, then moaned, "Oh, jeeze...I have to go check up on that man with that cold...um...okay, I'll be gone for a little while, Zeke. So, just stay here. You can stand up to stretch your legs if you need to, but please don't push yourself." She gave a light nod and briskly wandered out of the room.

The place was completely silent then. It bugged Zeke, knowing that if a pin dropped at the other end of the room, he'd most definitely hear it. He shifted uncomfortably in his bed. He needed to get moving! He hated being bedridden like this. He was a thief, after all, and like a gypsy, they did not fare well when imprisoned or were bound by strict rules. He threw off his sheet and began to walk around the room. He walked along the wall, making several laps around before turning and going in the other direction. This pattern repeated twice more, and he began to gnaw at his fingers. At last, he gave his head a mighty shake and walked back to his bed, flopping down and pulling the blanket over his waist. It felt good to get a bit of that walking pressure off his legs, but he still felt caged in.

He kept rolling side to side, just unable to get comfy. "GAH!" He kicked the blanket off and heard laughter at the other end of the room. He glanced to find the source of the laugh, and he saw Jasper standing there, free of his heavy cloak he had worn before. The other boy was leaning against the side of the door and had a grin on his face. Zeke saw that he still wore the ring that he had showed the last time they'd met.

"Jasper? What're you doing here?" Zeke asked and slid his legs over the side of the bed. He linked his toes together and swayed to and fro, happy to see his boyfriend after so long.

The other boy came across the room in long strides, reaching his love in a matter of seconds, and wrapped him in a large hug. "Ahh...I've missed you so much...how do you feel?" He asked, not releasing him.

Zeke blinked. "Well, I'm doing real well actually. But that nurse won't let me out of here until tomorrow morning. I can't take much more of this room or its scent!" He explained and Jasper pulled away sniffing the air.

"Huh...that is rather bitter, isn't it? Huh...well, I'm so glad to hear you're alright." He grinned and twisted the ring on Zeke's finger affectionately. "Heheh, I didn't have to break into the palace this time. That King Yuri let me in with open arms! I still feel foolish about what I did the other day." He chuckled and blushed.

Zeke shook his head. "Nah, you were just worried, that's all. It's okay." He ran a hand through Jasper's hair. "So, you seem a little more restless than usual. What's on your mind?"

Beaming as if he were waiting to be asked that question, Jasper stood out in front of him and said, "Well, I was hoping you and I could, I dunno, sneak out of here and cause some trouble in the village. You know, like how we used to."

Zeke's face fell. "Oh, I don't know about that. Miss Geisela wouldn't be very pleased with it. She told me to stay here, and that she'd remove my stitches tomorrow. I wouldn't want to worry her."

Jasper blinked, then said, "So, you're just going to sit there all day, getting fidgety and hyper when now is a perfect opportunity to get some fresh air?"

"Hey, I'm just following what Miss Geisela said."

"You're going to be miserable, you know."

"Yeah, I know."

"So...you gonna sneak out with me?"

"Absolutely..."

XXX

Geisela came wandering back, carrying a tray of food. "It is almost lunch time. He needs his food, too!" She murmured to herself, a smile on her face. Approaching the door, she extended out a hand and twisted to doorknob, entering.

"Hey, there, Ezekiel. I thought you may be hungry, so I brought you that soup you like- -" She froze as she scanned the room. "Uh-huh?! Ezekiel? Ezekiel!" She dropped the tray and sprinted across the room. "Where could he have gone?" She lifted the blankets of his bed up, tossing a small piece of paper into the air. "Hm?" She took it and read it over:

'Hey, Miss Geisela. Jasper came over for a visit, and, well, we sort of decided to go off for a little walk. I hope you don't mind or anything. I don't want you to worry, okay? I'll be fine with Jasper! He'll know what to do in case I get hurt. Alright? See you tonight when the sun sets! (That's if we don't get too sidetracked.) Thanks a bunch! - -Zeke.'

A low whimper escaped Geisela as she read the note over and over again. "I can't believe this...ohhh..." She closed her eyes and shook her head. She bit her lip, and quickly turned her head as a voice asked, "Whoa...what happened in here?"

Wolfram and Yuri stood at the door, looking at the spilled food all over the floor, and Geisela standing there, looking absolutely horrified.

She held up the note. "Jasper came, and he and Ezekiel ran away! I don't know what to do..." She moaned and walked across the room to give them the memo. As they took it, she clasped her hands together tightly and watched them as they, too, examined it.

"Those idiots..." Wolfram muttered and looked up.

Yuri blinked and said, "Well, actually, Geisela, I don't see what there is to worry about. Zeke said that he was feeling fine, and his injuries are healed, after all." He tilted his head.

Geisela nodded her head. "I know, but what I'm really worried about are those stitches. Imagine if they were to tear through his skin. He'd have more injuries to deal with, then! And he just recovered from his other ones...I don't know if his skin and muscles could take that." She explained, shuddering at the thought.

Yuri felt sorry for her. She had done so much for everyone living in the castle so far, and her worrying just made her stress out even more. He crossed his arms. "Alright then, we'll just have to go out and look for him...again." He said with a smile.

Geisela gave a sigh, crossing her hands over her chest.

"Thank you so much, Your Majesty."

XXX

When Zeke had written his letter, he had 'forgotten' to include the high-paced aerobics that he and Jasper were performing in their 'little walk' in the village. Jumping from building to building, back-flipping off of moving carts and landing in each others' arms, teasing the bulls and jumping onto their backs before wrestling them into the mud, and so on.

Sprinting across the very edge of a rooftop, Zeke laughed as he felt the fresh air in his face and loving the cool stone against his bare feet. Coming to the end of the building, he did not stop, but instead leapt off his perch, gracefully flipping in the air and landing on a banner, where he met up with Jasper and grabbed hold of his arms, as the boy copied his motion. The two were propelled off the banner with their combined weight and flew through the air like magic. They then landed at the outskirts of the village on a field of grass, the momentum they had gained throwing them around in circles, before Zeke lost his footing and collapsed with Jasper almost falling on him. They both laughed as they tumbled down the hill and landed at the bottom, catching their breath and laughing all the way through. The two lay at last in the tall grass, head to head.

Zeke held his stomach and pulled his legs close to his chest as he coughed through his hilarity. "Haha, wow! That was so much fun! Ahh, it feels so long since we last did something like it, Jasper." He said and sighed.

Jasper nodded. "Yeah, I'm glad that you came out with me tonight, Zeke." He said and held up his hand. "You didn't lose your ring through all that, did you?"

Zeke shook his head. "Nope! Still got it!" He held his hand up, and looked at he precious ring. He tilted his head, and slowly slipped his hand into Jasper's as they were still being held above them. "They're so pretty...you were always good at making things like this..."

Jasper flushed. "Thanks. I have no idea what to do with the stuff I make, though." He said and gave his head a shake. "Mm..."

Zeke smiled. "How about you sell your crafts? Then we won't have to steal money anymore." He stated, squeezing the other boy's hand affectionately.

Jasper blinked and sat up. "No one would buy things like these. I would have to get brighter colours, and that's not a thing we can afford at the moment." He said and crossed his hands over his lap.

Zeke's eyebrows cringed as he sat up as well. "They're so pretty! They would most definitely buy them!" He said and crossed his arms.

Jasper shook his head.

"Nuh-uh."

"Yeah-huh."

"Nuh-uh."

"Yeah-huh."

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yeah-huh! Yeah-huh! Yeah-huh! Yeah-HUH!!"

Jasper froze and looked at the smaller boy's pouty face, then instinctively stuck his tongue out with a small raspberry. Zeke, of course, returned the gesture, and Jasper laughed, squeezing his cheeks. "You are so cute when you do that Ezekiel." He chuckled, gave his head a shake, and then kissed him on the forehead.

"THERE you are! We've been looking all over this damned village for you two!" Wolfram's angry voice split the air, and the lovebirds turned to look at him with a small 'uh-oh.'

Yuri chuckled nervously as he appeared behind him, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "Um...yeah. I think you two oughta head back to the palace, now. Geisela's real worried." He explained, smiling.

Zeke gave another pout. "But I left her a note and everything." He protested, shifting closer to Jasper and wrapping his arms around his waist.

Yuri nodded. "I know, we saw it. But still, you have those stitches in your skin, and she's worried they may get ripped out somehow." He said and his smile faded slightly.

Zeke gave a high laugh. "As if they'd rip out! You should have seen all the crazy things Jasper and I did today! Those things wouldn't get torn out if a herd of wild horses were pulling on them!" He stated and put his hands on his hips, immaturely challenging the other two.

The two could only exchange a look, before sighing.

"Honestly, you two! Get back to the castle right away, or I'll drag you there!" Wolfram said, finally starting to get harsh with it.

Jasper glanced at Zeke and asked, "So...what do you want to do, then?" He sighed with a defeated tone that Yuri was unsure if it was pretend or for real.

Zeke paused, looking over his shoulder at the horizon. "Hmm...it is a little late...but..." He rubbed his chin, thinking. "Huh...well..." He blinked and took Jasper's hand. "I think...that it isn't QUITE sunset yet, so...RUN!!" He laughed and jumped up, pulling the other boy with him and leading him away quickly. The two began to run on their own, pleased with their triumphant escape.

"Hey! Get back here!" Yuri and Wolfram cried in unison and began to chase them. Now the tracking game would start up once more...

XXX

"Oohhh myyyy..." Conrad stood there, a hand over his mouth.

Zeke and Jasper were finally returned to the palace, only covered head-to-toe in blackish brown mud and had twigs and leaves in their hair like you wouldn't believe! They looked at each other, covering their mouths and stifling laughs. "You look so funny..." Zeke giggled to Jasper, trying to keep his voice low.

"So do you..."

Conrad put his hands on his hips. "Now now, enough of that. Off to the baths, and off to bed." He scolded like a father and pointed towards the baths.

"Yes sir." Jasper said and began to walk behind Zeke, giving him a light push as they laughed some more at their appearances. They finally vanished down the bath, and Conrad turned to Wolfram and Yuri.

"What in the world were those two doing?" He asked, his eyes questioning, yet amused.

Wolfram growled, wiping bits of mud from his face. "Those fools fell into a huge pasture of mud! They rolled around in it for a while before everything changed into an all-out mud war." He said.

Yuri nodded, laughing. "We were caught right in the middle of it, too!"

Wolfram's eye twitched and he turned to Yuri, snapping, "Quite snickering, you wimp! Do you realize how HARD it's going to be for me to get these twigs and rock grains out of my hair?! I'll be in the bath for hours!" He gripped Yuri's shirt, pulling him close to his angry face.

"S-s-sorry! I didn't mean to tease you, Wolfram!" Yuri gasped, his eyes wide as he tried to pull away.

Conrad shook his head, a small smile on his face. "Speaking of which, you two oughta get washed up, too. Off with ya!" He said and gave each of them a kind, gentle slap in the back of the head.

XXX

Yuri sighed as he massaged his head with the shampoo. "I have to admit. Those two did put us through quite an adventure, don't you think?" He grinned as stood in the shower, allowing the water to rinse him.

Wolfram scoffed as he rubbed water over his arm. "They gave us too much of an adventure, I say! Crazy hoodlums!" He shook his head and ducked it under the hot water for a moment, before coming up once more, his face free of mud. "I don't think we'd be able to live with them for too much long if they keep pulling those sorts of stunts!"

Yuri shrugged as he moved back into the bath. "I don't think so. It actually may be a little fun, you know? Hahah." He grinned and closed his eyes. "Right now, let's just relax. Who cares what tomorrow holds?"

XXX

Far out in the sea, an elaborate-looking boat rocked against the waves. It was lit only by the pale moon and glimmering stars above.

Within the boat, a shadowy figure sat on large, comfortable seats, his legs crossed, and reading a piece of paper. "Heh. I am glad to have His Majesty's permission...now I can finally complete what I have been seeking for so long..." He murmured, crossing his legs in the other direction and chuckling almost sinisterly.

A man at the other end of the room kept his eyes on him, blinking slightly. "My Prince...we will arrive at the shores of New Makoku early tomorrow..." He paused and concluded with, "What would your brother say? He would be wondering where you are, you know..."

There was silence as the younger figure stood and walked briskly across the room. "Huh, so what? I say let him wonder." He flicked his long hair over his shoulder. "Besides, I will be returning in a short while, right? Let's just let him keep guessing for the next few days." The man beside him bowed, and he closed his eyes, a hissing chuckle leaving his lips.


	3. The Prince Bazel

Yuri yawned and rolled to the side

Yuri yawned and rolled to the side. His eyes flickered and opened, seeing a pale face, blonde hair hanging down...

"Nng-" He grunted and shuffled away from Wolfram slightly. But he caught himself before he fell out of the bed. Somehow, during the night, his five inches of space from the other side of the bed had turned into five centimeters. He winced slightly, listening to Wolfram snore and mumble in his sleep. Slowly, he pulled his arm out from under the blankets (and the other boy) and slid out of bed. The floor felt cold, but he didn't mind. He had had a strange dream the night before, and the bed felt too warm.

"Mmm..." Wolfram moaned and rolled onto his back. "Mornin...?" He mumbled, as if he had heard the word for the first time.

Yuri couldn't help but grin, and look over his shoulder at the blonde. "Yeah. Good morning." He greeted, and began to change into his black uniform. He listened as Wolfram rolled out of bed, dropped his pink nightgown and began to change as well.

"Huh...my skin feels smooth." The blonde told, running his hands up and down his arms.

Yuri glanced over him. "So's mine. I think it's because of that mud-war we had with the kids yesterday." He responded and buttoned up his shirt. "I heard that mud's fairly good for your skin."

Wolfram scoffed. "How could have mud done something like this? That's foolish." He snorted and put his fists on his hips.

Yuri grinned, shaking his head. "You'd be surprised."

XXX

"Okay...hold still..." Geisela looked at Zeke, a gentle smile on her face. "There we go...that's all!" She announced as she removed the stitches on the boy's shoulder. She grinned and sat up straight. "Okay. I sure wish that you would have waited for today, though. You scared me yesterday!" She chuckled, turning away and sorting through things on a table.

Zeke grinned, showing off the lack of stitches to Jasper, whom of which put his hands on his shoulders and kissed him on the cheek. They then both had a mischievous gleam in their eyes.

"I just hope that we don't have to go through that ordeal any time soon, right? I mean, that wound on your waist was pretty deep, but at least it didn't hit any vital organs or tear up your muscle too badly!" She turned, and the last thing she saw was Zeke vanishing around the corner and then she heard him say, "Thank you so much, Miss Geisela!"

Geisela sat there for a moment, looking dumbfounded, then finally she chuckled as a smile came across her face. At least now, she didn't have to worry about the stitches breaking!

XXX

Yuri and Wolfram were almost bowled over by the two when they ran down the hall.

"Whoop! Sorry, King Yuri! Ooh...who's this now?" Zeke asked and squatted down. A small girl had accompanied Yuri and Wolfram.

"This is our daughter, Greta." Yuri grinned and felt the little girl put herself behind her father shyly. "Daddy..? Who are they?" She asked in a little voice. Wolfram looked down at her, then smiled lightly.

Yuri knelt beside her. "This is Zeke and Jasper. They are those boys who helped us with that gang of thieves we caught a few days ago." He glanced up and smiled at the two.

"Hi, Greta." Zeke said in a gentle tone.

The little girl stared at them for a minute, and then a smile crossed her face. "Hi. It's good to meet you." She responded and hid herself behind Yuri a little more. Zeke laughed and stood up. "Timid is she?"

Yuri chuckled and looked down. "A bit."

Zeke turned to Jasper. "Oh...we should adopt a daughter some day. Once we have our own home, and are able to support her...let's name her Yvonne!" He said, shaking the other boy's hand.

"Huh, I dunno about that, Ezekiel. And why don't we get a son? Name him Zachary." Jasper protested, and immediately got a reply.

"Eww! Boys are so boring! Zachary? Why not Orson?"

"Orson sounds like a name you'd give a pig."

"No, that's Hamish."

"Hahaha, definitely."

"I know, huh?"

The two laughed at the strange names that people gave their children.

Yuri was silent as he and Wolfram watched them walk down the hall, their voices growing more and more distinct.

"...That was rather strange..." Wolfram murmured.

Yuri nodded. "Mm-hm. Well, come on. I bet Gunter and the others are wondering where we are right now. We did sleep in for about an hour." He stated and wandered into the next room, holding Greta's hand.

Gunter stood, talking with Conrad. "Oh, Your Majesty!" He exclaimed, seeing Yuri and the others. He jogged over, grinning. "Today, Prince Bazel is expected to arrive at the shores. We will travel there by carriage at noon." He announced, putting a hand on Yuri's shoulder. Wolfram cleared his throat all too loudly, jabbing the man's hand.

"Okay, you don't have to shout." Gunter whined, taking back his hand and rubbing the area where Wolfram had poked.

Yuri grinned. "Really? That's great! I've been wanting to meet him." He said and crossed his arms. Greta leaned over. "Can I come too, Daddy?" She asked, pulling on the boy's sleeve. Yuri made an over-exaggerated movement of putting his hand on his chin and scratching it. "Hmmm..." He mumbled and grinned. "Sure. Why not?" He answered and stooped down.

Greta gave a loud, excited squeal and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Yayyy!" She shrieked and ran off. Yuri watched her, a smile plastered on his face.

Wolfram sighed. "That carriage is gonna be full...you, me, Gunter, Greta, and Prince Bazel. Speaking of which,"-he said and turned to look at Yuri-"Why are you so eager to meet this prince? You little- -" He growled, his face forming to a scowl.

Yuri gave a low moan. "It's not what you think, Wolfram..."

XXX

The carriage bounced up and down as it traveled down the dirt road. Greta sat by the window, peering out, watching the passing scenery. "Ohh...so pretty." She grinned and turned back. She sat next to Yuri, as Wolfram sat on the other side of the carriage next to Gunter (even though he had argued to be seated next to the Maou...)

Gunter sighed. "It seems Prince Bazel will only be able to sit on His Majesty and Greta's side. He won't be able to fit over here. Why'd you have to come, Wolfram?" He complained, looking at the blonde and leaning on his hand.

Wolfram, who was outraged enough, not being able to sit by Yuri, was pushed further at the fact that there was going to be another man sitting next to him, AND Gunter was lipping him off?! His eye twitched ferociously, but he couldn't let the words that he had on his tongue burst out, especially with his young daughter sitting right across from him... So instead, he gave some unintelligible noises and turned away, looking out the window.

Gunter sat up, a wide and somewhat mischievous smile on his face. "It's nice to have Greta with us, is it not?" He asked and got another angry sound from Wolfram. He knew very well that Wolfram wouldn't burst out in front of her! The male ground his teeth together. He was so going to get that bastard later on. His death-threat thoughts were interrupted as the carriage came to a stop.

Shortly, Conrad appeared at their window and said, "We're stopping to take a short break. You can get out and stretch your legs if you like."

Yuri grinned. "Really? Wow, I didn't know we've traveled so far already. Well, I'm going out. Coming, Greta?" He asked and looked at the girl. He got a rapid nod as a reply and chuckled, leading her out of the carriage.

Wolfram and Gunter shortly followed, sighing and stretching. For them, it had been a long trip already.

"Oh, wow...I didn't know that wild berries grew down this road, Daddy!" Greta exclaimed, jogging over to a bush and examining the little blue fruits that were growing there. "And they look ripe, too!"

Yuri walked over to her and knelt down. "Hm! I wonder...do we have a basket or two with us? We could fill them up, and have a snack on the way, and for the Prince. What do you think?" He asked and grinned at her.

Greta's face glowed. "Okay!" She turned and jogged up to Conrad. "Uncle Conrad? Do we have any baskets with us?" She asked and clasped her hands together.

Conrad straightened up. "Hm...I'm not too sure. Maybe you should check the carriage." He suggested, a smile on his face. "I'll be with you in a minute, I just have to tighten the saddle." He turned to his horse and began to pull at the leather straps.

Wolfram stood on the other side of the carriage, a scowl on his face. "Hmph..." He grumbled, plotting how he would get back at Gunter. Rig all the vases to break whenever he would get left behind at the castle? Make sure that when Annissina brought out one of her weird inventions, only she and Gunter were in the same room together? Shave him bald..? He snickered at the last one.

"Hey, you're looking grumpy." A voice said behind him. He blinked and turned around, seeing Zeke and Jasper sitting on top of the carriage. "Eh? How'd you get here?" He asked, tilting an eyebrow.

Zeke smirked. "We walked, of course." He told bluntly and held up his foot, wiggling his toes.

Wolfram tilted his head. "But...it's been a two-hour carriage ride. How could you have walked behind us the whole time?" He questioned, and stepped back to see them both.

Jasper sighed. "We're thieves, remember? We're used to long-time traveling on foot." He told and leaned on his knee. Zeke grinned and leaned up against him. "Besides, I made a promise to make sure that you and King Yuri remain faithful to each other, so we're just gonna keep an eye on that Prince, okay?" He told and tilted his head.

Wolfram smirked, remembering the promise. "Ah, yeah." He chuckled and turned away. He was silent for a moment. "Huh. What would you two prefer? Getting shaved bald, or being a guinea pig for some woman's crazy and sometimes lethal inventions?" He glanced at them.

The two held a gaze on each other for a moment, and then looked back at him. "Heck I don't know...I like my hair, so...probably guinea pig for me.." Zeke murmured, twisting a white strand of his long hair between his fingers.

Wolfram had a wicked look cross his face and he turned away, clasping his hands together. 'Alright, shave him...' He thought and cracked his knuckles. He turned his head, looking at Gunter, and his long, glossy, lavender-touched hair flowing down his back.

"Oh, there are just so many!" Greta giggled, carrying a large basket out in front of her filled with berries. Yuri stood beside her, laughing. "Yeah! And we still have one more basket to fill!" He said. He held a full basket on his hip and gestured to the empty one on the ground.

Greta thought for a minute, and then she said, "Hey! Why don't we get Papa Wolfram to fill the last one? We each filled one, it's his turn!" She grinned a grin so innocent, Yuri had to let a small little "Aww..." slide out. He nodded. "Sure. Let's go get him." They walked around the carriage, and only saw Gunter standing there, watching the horses, completely unaware of the blonde boy sneaking up behind him, hidden by the bushes.

"Hey, Gunter? Do you know where Wolfram is?" Yuri asked, glancing around.

The older man tilted his head. "Hm...he WAS standing right there. I'm not too sure where he wandered off to." He said and flicked his hair over his shoulder slightly. "Huhh. Maybe he went to the other side. Who knows?" He shrugged.

"Hm." Yuri murmured and glanced to the side. "Mmph...what a pain...where does he keep going?" He grumbled and put a hand on his hip.

Zeke, still sitting on top of the carriage pointed. "Ah! There he is!" He exclaimed. Wolfram had moved out from behind Gunter and came out of the bushes behind Yuri and Greta.

"Ah! Thanks, Zeke." Yuri grinned, glancing up at the younger boy. He got a salute in return, and the boy flopped down on his back, looking at the clouds with Jasper. The hands that were ringed were clasped together tightly.

Yuri and Greta walked over to Wolfram. "Papa, you have a leaf in your hair!" Greta said, and attempted to reach up and grab it out.

Wolfram blinked. "Oh." He said as his eyes fixed on the leaf. He knelt down to allow the young girl to yank it out. She stared at it, then tossed it over her shoulder. "Papa, you have to come fill up a basket of berries, too!" She smiled and held up the empty basket.

"U-um..." Wolfram stammered at the sudden request. He glanced at Gunter, who was now playing with his hair, and wrinkled his nose slightly. 'I'll get him later...' He thought and took the basket from Greta. "Show the way."

XXX

"Here you are, Gunter." Yuri said, sliding two handfuls of berries into the other male's hands.

"Ah, thank you, Your Majesty. To be served fruit right from your very hands...ahh..." He closed his eyes and leaned back, his mind wandering away on him.

Wolfram scoffed at him, and slid a berry of his own handful into his mouth.

Yuri didn't seem to notice as he smiled. "These are really good. It's been a while that I've had fruit right off the vine." He said and glanced at Greta, who was munching happily.

Yuri leaned out the window. "Ah, we're almost to the shores! Great!" He exclaimed and looked at the crystal water that was nearby. There was a large crowd near the shore, waiting to welcome the Prince.

Up in front, Yosak glanced around. "Huh! Quite a turnout!" He chuckled and glanced at Conrad, who nodded. "Indeed. I suppose everyone's looking forward to meeting him." He said, but his face fell.

Yosak blinked and leaned over to look at him. "Hey, what's the face?" He asked.

Conrad straightened up. "Listen carefully, Yosak. I've heard things about people in Great Flurrizora. Many rumors say that their hearts have been engulfed with wicked intentions, and that they are dangerous people. Now, although they have been rumors, I am not going to let them go ignored. I want you to keep a careful eye on Prince Bazel when he's around Yuri. I'll do the same when you cannot." He explained, his voice low. Yosak's face was now somber and he nodded. "Yeah. Got'cha." He responded and looked on ahead.

When they arrived at the shore, a ship appeared nearby. The crowd cheered, in both the arrival of the Maou, and the arrival of the Prince. Yuri grinned and waved out to the ship.

"Hey! King Yuri!" A voice called from the ship. Yuri squinted and saw a slim figure standing there. From what Yuri could see, the person had long, green hair tied back in a ponytail, and was dressed in forest green clothes. As they got closer, he could see a smiling face, almost as cute as Wolfram's, glowing with happiness and dotted with freckles.

Yuri and the group went to the docks to meet him.

"Hello. It's such an honor to finally meet you, King Yuri." The young prince said, walking up to them. A tall man followed, his hair slicked back and cut bluntly a little past his shoulders.

The prince put a hand on his chest. "As you probably already know, my name is Prince Bazel of the Northern Country, Great Flurrizora. This is my attendant, Francis von MasinIzrak." He introduced and directed to the man behind him.

'Man, oh, man, that Francis is scary...he could probably get along well with Gwendel...' Yuri thought, and chuckled to himself. "It's really good to meet you! You know me already, this is my daughter, Greta, and that's Wolfram." He said, directing to each person.

Wolfram stared at Bazel for a moment, then added, "His fiancée." He took Yuri's hand, as if claiming him.

Yuri sighed and rolled his eyes slightly. "Anyhow, now that we're doing all the introductions, those are my attendants, Yosak and Gunter, and my godfather, Conrad. There were two other people here...but they don't seem to be around at this point." He glanced over his shoulders, looking for Zeke and Jasper. "Ah well. You can meet them later."

Bazel chuckled and pulled a small bottle from his pocket. He popped off the lid and squirted a greenish, sweet-smelling liquid onto a hand and began to rub. "I'd like to." Yuri blinked at the bottle he had pulled out. "Huh? What's that?"

"Ah, I have terrible eczema because of where I come from. If I don't put on some lotion, my skin cracks and it stings terribly." He explained as he then rubbed his palms on his pants.

Yuri frowned slightly. "Ah, that's too bad. Does the cold weather up there do that?" He asked.

Bazel nodded. "Mm-hm. It's wretched. Anyways, shall we get a move on?" He glanced over his shoulder, seeing that Francis had vanished back onto the ship. He returned shortly with a literality albino horse. Its mane was a milky yellow, its coat was white, and its eyes were a bright pink. It looked so...demonic...Yuri shuddered when it gave a ghostly whinny.

"Shh...settle down, Phantom..." Yuri heard Francis murmur to the horse. 'No wonder how it got its name...' He thought, biting his lip. Francis led the horse down to the dock, and mounted it. "So, my Prince. Do you wish to ride with me, or with them?" He asked and directed to the carriage.

Bazel smiled. "I think it'd be more interesting to ride with them. You know, to get to know them a little more." He answered. Francis nodded and gave a small click of the tongue to get his horse to move towards Conrad and Yosak's. The darker horses snorted and shuffled around at the arrival of Phantom, only calmed by their masters' words. "Then I will be with them." He said and was silent.

XXX

"Hahh, what an interesting story!" Bazel laughed as Yuri finished a tale from the past.

Yuri nodded, a smile on his face. "I just couldn't believe what had happened!" He exclaimed and laughed as well. Greta giggled. "Prince Bazel, would you like some more berries?" She asked and leaned down towards a basket.

Bazel shook his head. "No thank you. But, they are delicious. Where did you pick them?" He asked and leaned back slightly, twisting a strand of his green hair.

"We found them down this road here." Greta said and pointed out the window. Bazel looked out the window where she was pointing and grinned. "Huh, we ought to come back here sometime, you, me, and your fathers." He suggested and looked at Wolfram (the boy promptly stuck his nose in the air out of jealousy.) Yuri didn't seem to notice Wolfram's motion as he said, "We should!"

"Ah-HA! So is this the famed Prince Bazel we've been hearing about?" A voice chimed behind them, and a giggle followed.

Yuri blinked and twisted around. He grinned and announced, "There you are, Zeke!" The boy had jumped onto the carriage and was clinging to the back window, smirking at them and holding on tight.

Yuri turned back and looked at Bazel. "This is one of the two people I told you about at the docks. His name's Ezekiel." He said and closed his eyes, shaking his head slightly, but good-naturedly.

Zeke smiled, his face flushing. "Nice to meet ya!" He glanced to the side and blinked. He nodded and jumped off the cart. In a brief moment, Jasper appeared in his place.

"And this one's Jasper." Yuri said, directing to him.

Bazel stared at the new one for a while. "A...human?" He murmured, tilting his head to the side.

Yuri nodded. "Yyeeah...why?" He responded. "Are you surprised?"

Bazel shook his head. "No...well, maybe a little. I didn't know that humans came into this country. They aren't rare in my country, but I thought that was the only place..." He explained, once again rubbing his hands with his lotion. He smirked. "Not that it's a bad thing! You've really welcomed in the other nations, King Yuri. It's so impressive."

Yuri chuckled modestly. "Well...I can't say it was done ALL by me, y'know..." He looked at Wolfram and Gunter. "There were a lot of things I couldn't have done without them."

"Oh Your Majesty..." Gunter sighed and clasped his hands together, as Wolfram simply leaned on the window on his side, making sure he was still looking out it.

Yuri grinned. "And Conrad and Yosak were excellent as well." He told and peered out the window at the men, even though he knew they couldn't hear him.

Outside, Yosak kept his eyes on Francis' horse, Phantom. 'Eugh...that thing gives me shivers...' He thought, shuddered and turned his eyes back to the front. As if reading his mind, Phantom gave a low whinny and glared at him, causing his to chew on his lip and jump slightly.

Conrad glanced behind him, smirking at Yosak, but his grin failed him when he looked at Francis. The man had cold, cold eyes, and a stern face so unlike that of his own. He could have been younger than 30, but there were details that made him appear older. Details that told he had been working hard since he was young, and nothing could shave off this cruel-looking shell. But what truly caught Conrad's attention was a large scar on the left side of the man's face, that led from above his eye, down past his lip. He pondered how he could have received that wound...

"Sir Weller, would you like something?" Francis' voice brought the other man back.

"U-um...no. I just blanked out." Conrad stammered and turned back, looking ahead. He sighed and closed his eyes. He wasn't sure why, but he had felt so tired that day. Perhaps it had been the cause of the previous days, with Ezekiel and Jasper, the theft and retrieval of Yuri's necklace, and his constant jogging and training with Yuri. Huh...who knew?

XXX

Wolfram slunk about the castle, a smirk on his face. Normally, he'd be right beside Yuri when another good-looking person was present, but due to Zeke and Jasper being with the king and supporting their engagement, he could now get around to his wicked plan.

He eyed Gunter as the man filed papers at his desk. He narrowed his eyes as his smile widened, and clutched the scissors that he held tightly. He cautiously glanced around and checked to see if the man had noticed him, which he hadn't, and began to walk forwards.

"Hello, Wolfram. What're you sneaking about for?"

Wolfram jumped at the sudden voice. He span around quickly, seeing a young woman with wild, red hair. "Annissina? What're you doing?! You almost gave me a heart attack!" He gagged, putting a hand on his chest.

Annissina scowled. "Hey now, don't be so rude. You know, I oughta use you for my new invention!" She grinned. "But, you're too small for it, so you get off the hook this time." She chuckled and jogged into Gunter's room, and in brief seconds, a loud conversation stirred up. Wolfram sighed and looked at the scissors. Not today...not yet.

He turned and walked down the hallway, and down the stairs. He yawned and looked around, seeing the same thing he always did while walking in that area. He shook his head and shut his eyes. Boring, boring, boring. It didn't seem so dull when he was walking with Yuri. He was stopped abruptly by running into another body. With a low groan, his eyes snapped open, and he looked up, seeing Francis. "Oh. Excuse me." He muttered and stepped around the tall man. But all he got for a reply was a time-stopping glare, and a slight shove to the side as he walked past him. He stared after him, an angered and offended look on his face. "Dammit..." He muttered and was on his way.

"Oh, Woooolfraaaaam..." A voice behind him made him stop in his tracks. He turned slowly, and there stood Annissina, dragging a captured and weary Gunter by the collar. "Turns out that Gunter was too light for the experiment, too. But I know just the thing to balance it all out!" She announced, giggling wickedly. "An inventor can never get far with a single guinea pig!" Wolfram winced and took a step back, but knew he couldn't escape the redhead's insane plot...

XXX

"Wow, Wolfram. You do not look good..." Conrad leaned over his brother, who had his head on the table, his clothes ruffled and torn. "I...have no idea...where Annissina gets her ideas for those wretched machines of hers..." Was all the boy responded, trying to lift his head, but ended up dropping it on the table with a loud clunk. "Ow." Conrad bit his lip, and then ran a sympathetic hand over his shoulders.

Gwendel looked up from his work for a moment, only to shake his head and look back down. Gunter, too, looked as worn out as Wolfram did, and kept his head on the table with the same sort of weariness. "Ahh...at least it didn't draw blood, right?" He murmured, rolling up his sleeves and looking at strange marks that were caused by a strap that drew out the Maryoku directly from the Demon.

The blonde lord across from him mumbled something of a reply and fell silent. The entire room was quiet for what seemed like hours, until Yuri, Bazel, Jasper, and Zeke's voice came to be heard as they walked down the hall. Wolfram snapped to attention, then felt a fiery jealousy welling up within him when he heard Bazel and Yuri carrying on a conversation about personal interests between them. He stood up quickly, ignoring the pained objection that his body gave, and walked over to the door, opening it and peering down the hall to seek them out. Sure enough, there they were, and immediately, he walked up to Yuri and Bazel.

Zeke and Jasper were there, too, one of them standing in between the two royals and the other trailing behind slightly. Wolfram grinned at this and his jealously receded...slightly. He ignored Yuri's greeting and squeezed between him and Zeke. "Wolfram, you don't look too good...were you training?" Yuri asked, looking the lord over numbly. Wolfram shook his head. "Annissina had a new invention..." He corrected painfully. Yuri winced and did not question further.

Bazel laughed at the reaction. "So Annissina is as crazy as I've heard?" He asked and chuckled. "Just kidding..." Wolfram looked at him, tilting an eyebrow slightly. "It's the truth, though..." He murmured and Bazel laughed again. This kid was far more loose and out-going than Wolfram expected...he acted too much like Yuri. He bit his lip and stood closer to his fiancée. The double-black stared at him awkwardly. "What's up with you today..? Move over, my elbow's scraping the wall." He asked, shifting to the side. Wolfram ignored him, crossing his arms, closing his eyes, and keeping his nose in the air. "Wolfram!"

XXX

That evening, a pair of forest brown eyes watched as Yuri and Wolfram trained in the courtyard, but slowly trailed to Zeke and Jasper. "Hm..." The person watching them sighed and lowered his hand from the window he was leaning against. As he did, the flimsy curtain fell, blocking his view. He sighed and walked across the room to a bag. He pulled out a small bottle poured a dab of its contents onto his palms, and began to rub it over his hands. "Sooner or later...I'll have to return to Great Flurrizora...but it won't only be Francis and I..." He chuckled, looking at his hands. The constant rubbing of lotion on it had caused his skin to be extremely soft, smooth, and gentle, but those feelings hardly reflected in his cruel eyes. He sighed languidly and walked across the room, slipped under the covers of his bed, and fell asleep.

...

Gah, jeeze. DX Sorry this took so long to get up! I was beating off a writer's block with my forehead, and it took forever to get past it...even when I did, the last few paragraphs weren't too good.

Sorry, sorry, sorry! panicrunaway


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